It is known that consumers desire to use cosmetic and personal care compositions that enhance the appearance of keratin fibers such as hair by changing the color of the hair and/or by imparting various properties to hair, for example, shine and conditioning. The process of changing the color of hair can involve depositing an artificial color onto the hair which provides a different shade or color to the hair and/or lifting the color of the hair, such as lightening the color of dark hair to lighter shades.
The process of lifting the color of hair, also known as lightening, generally requires the use of compositions that comprise at least one oxidizing agent. When colorants or dye compounds such as oxidation dye precursors and direct dyes are present in these compositions, such compositions can change or deposit color and lighten the color of hair at the same time. Conventional hair coloring products are permanent dye compositions comprising oxidation dye precursors, which are also known as primary intermediates or couplers. These oxidation dye precursors are colorless or weakly colored compounds which, when combined with oxidizing agents, give rise to colored complexes by a process of oxidative condensation.
In general, hair lightening or color lifting compositions and hair dyeing compositions possess an alkalinity such that these compositions have a pH value of above 7, typically being at pH 9 and above, and may generally require the presence of basic compounds such as ammonia or an ammonia gas generating compound and/or an amine or ammonium-based compound in amounts sufficient to make such compositions alkaline. Such compounds cause the hair shaft to swell, thus allowing the small oxidative dye molecules to penetrate the cuticle and cortex before the oxidation condensation process is completed. The resulting larger-sized colored complexes from the oxidative reaction are then trapped inside the hair fiber, thereby permanently altering the color of the hair. While such hair dyeing and/or color lifting compositions can effectively alter the color of hair, these compositions can damage the hair fibers and/or irritate the scalp and may be accompanied by an undesirable odor of ammonia.
Thus, in order to reduce or avoid the drawbacks above, as well as to improve the cosmetic performance of hair color lifting and hair dyeing compositions, the use of new and additional ingredients and novel combinations of ingredients are continuously sought. However, the choice of ingredients or combinations of ingredients could pose difficulties insofar as they cannot be detrimental to other cosmetic attributes such as ease and uniformity of application, rheology or viscosity properties, stability of the compositions, color deposit and target shade formation, and/or result into more disadvantages such as increased damage, dryness, or a less healthy look to the hair. It is therefore, desirable to provide the consumer with compositions and methods that can lift the color of hair and/or deposit color onto hair in an efficient or improved manner, while providing other cosmetic advantages such as shine, conditioning, and a healthy appearance to the hair. Furthermore, it is preferable to formulate such compositions that are less costly to manufacture by requiring less and/or less costly ingredients and/or lower levels of ingredients and/or employing a more efficient process of manufacture.
Thus, the objective of the present invention is to obtain novel compositions for altering the color of hair while providing conditioning, a healthy and shiny appearance to hair and minimizing the damage to the hair and other adverse effects to the consumer. Another objective of the invention is to provide stable compositions that have a unique, non-drip consistency or rheology and yet spreads easily on the hair.